


Cops & Robbers

by TenTonParasol



Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: Gen, Golden Days of Overwatch
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-06
Updated: 2018-12-06
Packaged: 2019-09-12 15:38:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 488
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16875540
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TenTonParasol/pseuds/TenTonParasol
Summary: A short reflection on little Fareeha and teenage Jesse, the game of tag, and the place of admiration in their relationship.





	Cops & Robbers

Fareeha Amari is a little old to be playing Cops And Robbers—according to the Oh-So-Wise Opinions of many twelve-year-olds like herself, including herself some days. The truth of it is: it’s easy to convince anyone to play a variant on tag if it’s pitched just right. The Manhunt variation is basically Cops And Robbers, especially if playing with one Jesse McCree, especially especially when he pulls his bandana up over his nose to cover his face like that.

Sometimes, Ana and Gabe watch her wheedle Jesse into playing. He always resists at first. There’s work to be done, he has a meeting in forty, he just doesn’t feel like playing with a kid right now. Always, he indulges her in the end. He doesn’t have the fortitude not to. She admires him; he’s got the job she dreams of, is in good standing with the people the world looks up, and he’s only just a smidgen older. Every kid has that teen they just want to  _be_. Some days, Fareeha wants to be Jesse.

So, they go: Fareeha trying to catch Jesse, Jesse sometimes letting Fareeha catch him—much to her indignation. Ana and Gabe watch them. They quietly marvel at how Jesse can play at this when only a dozen or so months ago, he would pull up his bandana over his face like that, load his revolver, rob a convoy blind, then run from the cops, the feds, the United States military.

Except, he’d never let them catch him—much to their indignation.

Jesse playacts his own history for Fareeha, who isn’t struck by this fact at all. Not because she’s silly or stupid or some other adjective people are quick to ascribe to twelve-year-olds. It’s just that nobody talks about it much these days really past conjuring some Romantic image of an Old West Outlaw, especially not to Fareeha.

No, Jesse would never let anyone risk breaking her heart like that.

Even more, nobody would do that to Jesse.

Fareeha’s admiration, some days, is the only thing keeping him convinced he’s capable of doing better and making amends for the person he used to be. Some days, the way she looks up to him is what makes him believe that he’s worth all the work and trouble of doing better. So, no, not a soul talks to her about the full scope of just how much of a real-life bad guy Jesse used to be.

Still, how strange it is to watch him do all this for play, how strange it must be for him to be so distanced from that life now that it’s become easily a game to amuse a girl who’s become like a sister to him.

Jesse will play the bad guy, Fareeha will play the cop, and she’ll catch him right before he needs to head to a mission brief.

“Got you this time, Jesse.”

That’s all it is.


End file.
